Artico Search
Artico Search is a boutique executive search firm founded in 2021 that places C-suite and senior executives at VC-backed, PE-backed, and publicly traded companies, with primary focus on cybersecurity, enterprise technology, and consumer sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Artico Search does
Artico Search is a boutique executive search firm founded in 2021 by former Caldwell recruiters Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor (CEO) and Matt Comyns (President). The firm places C-suite and senior executives at venture capital-backed, private equity-backed, and publicly traded companies, with a primary focus on cybersecurity and adjacent technology sectors. Headquartered in New York and operating as a fully remote organization with 16 employees, Artico differentiates via "few off-limits" conflict structures, a published diversity metric of 53% underrepresented-talent placements, and a proprietary project management system called Thrive that supports candidate tracking integrity.
The firm's core service is retained and contingency executive search, augmented by integration with Ema's Agentic AI talent platform — described as the industry's first — used for candidate identification and competency analysis. Artico also operates two research product lines jointly published with IANS Research: the annual CISO Compensation Benchmark Report and the Security Budget Benchmark Report, both drawing from surveys of 1,000+ CISOs. The firm has extended into event-based community building via the Future Cyber Leaders Summit, an annual paid gathering ($7,500 tuition) in Mystic, CT, with sponsorship from Cyera, IVP, Tenable, Tenex, and DeiVBel.
The go-to-market is consultative direct sales into enterprise and institutional buyers. Named customers include Google, Spotify, Palo Alto Networks, General Catalyst, a16z, Blackstone, DeepMind, and Mars Inc, spanning consumer, enterprise, security, and VC/PE sectors. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and follows retained/contingency fee structures scaled to search complexity. The firm holds no disclosed external funding, operating as a bootstrapped boutique under founder ownership.
Artico Search firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Artico Search
- Legal name
- Artico Search, Inc.
- Website
- https://www.articosearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Artico Search is a boutique executive search firm founded in 2021 that places C-suite and senior executives at VC-backed, PE-backed, and publicly traded companies, with primary focus on cybersecurity, enterprise technology, and consumer sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Artico Search industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC)
Keywords
Where Artico Search is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Artico Search business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Retained and contingency executive search fees for placing C-suite and senior executives with venture capital, private equity-backed, and publicly-traded companies across cybersecurity, enterprise, consumer, and venture capital/private equity sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Artico Search product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Artico Search is a boutique executive search firm that places C-suite and senior leaders into venture capital-backed, private equity-backed, and publicly traded companies, with deep specialization in cybersecurity leadership hiring. The firm uses proprietary AI-augmented search methods, a scientific candidate analysis approach, and an internal search database (Thrive) to identify, evaluate, and present candidates, and it complements placement work with annual CISO compensation and security budget benchmark research produced jointly with IANS Research.
Product overview
Artico Search is a boutique executive search firm that delivers talent to build, scale, and protect businesses. Founded in 2021, the company matches elite candidates with venture capital, private equity-backed, and publicly-traded companies. Their core service is executive search placement across consumer, enterprise, and security sectors. The company also publishes annual CISO Compensation and Security Budget Benchmark Reports in partnership with IANS Research, and hosts the Cybersecurity Leadership Summit for cyber industry professional development. The firm leverages proprietary search technology powered by ML and AI to analyze candidate profiles and competency trade-offs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Services Boutique retained and contingency executive search services placing C-suite and senior leaders into venture capital-backed, private equity-backed, and publicly traded companies across consumer, enterprise, and cybersecurity sectors, supported by proprietary scientific candidate analysis and the Ema Agentic AI talent platform.
- Cybersecurity Leadership Summit Annual multi-day executive development summit for future cyber leaders featuring executive coaching, mentorship, and networking with industry leaders, held in Mystic, CT with paid tuition.
Quantifiable outcome
- 53% of placements being underrepresented talent - best in industry
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Artico Search
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Artico Search technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Artico Search partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- CyeraminorSponsor of the Future Cyber Leaders Summit presented by Artico Search in Mystic, CT (July 2026). Cyera is a data security company.
- IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)minorSponsor of the Future Cyber Leaders Summit presented by Artico Search in Mystic, CT (July 2026).
- TenableminorSponsor of the Future Cyber Leaders Summit presented by Artico Search in Mystic, CT (July 2026). Tenable is a cybersecurity company.
- DeiVBelminorSponsor of the Future Cyber Leaders Summit presented by Artico Search in Mystic, CT (July 2026).
- Tenex Capital ManagementminorSponsor of the Future Cyber Leaders Summit presented by Artico Search in Mystic, CT (July 2026).
- IANS ResearchcoreLong-standing research partnership producing annual CISO Compensation Benchmark Reports and Security Budget Benchmark Reports. Jointly field surveys with over 1,000 CISOs providing comprehensive market intelligence on compensation, staffing, and satisfaction trends in the cybersecurity industry.
- Ema (Agentic AI Talent Platform)coreArtico Search uses Ema's Agentic AI talent platform - described as the industry's first - to deliver executive search faster, with precision and deeper insight than ever before. This technology powers their candidate identification and matching process.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Artico Search competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heller Search Associates: Boutique executive search firm focused on cybersecurity, risk, and technology officer placements. Closest peer in cybersecurity vertical specialty, competing for the same CISO and security leadership mandates from enterprise and growth-stage companies.
- True Search: Boutique executive search firm specializing in placements for VC-backed and PE-backed technology companies. Directly comparable in target customer (VC/PE portfolio companies), tech-forward positioning, and retained search model.
- Diversified Search Group: Boutique executive search firm serving corporate, nonprofit, and technology sectors. Comparable boutique scale with vertical specializations including technology and C-suite placements for growth-stage and enterprise clients.
- Caldwell Partners: Publicly traded executive search firm where Artico's founders (Chatfield-Taylor and Comyns) previously worked. Closest direct comparable given shared DNA, retained and contingency model, and focus on technology and C-suite mandates from growth-stage companies.
- Heidrick & Struggles (re-listed for clarity, replaced below): Placeholder removed.
Broad incumbents
- Heidrick & Struggles: Publicly traded global executive search firm with strong technology and cybersecurity practices. Competes for senior executive and CISO placements, with a broader service portfolio including culture consulting and leadership assessment.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with dedicated technology and cybersecurity officer practices. Directly competes for CISO and tech executive mandates from PE/VC-backed and public companies, similar to Artico's core customer base.
- Egon Zehnder: Global privately-held executive search firm with strong technology, digital, and board practices. Closely comparable boutique-style positioning at greater scale, competing for senior tech executive placements in PE/VC-backed companies.
- Korn Ferry: Largest global executive search and organizational consulting firm with a technology officers practice. Competes on C-suite and cybersecurity leadership mandates, but offers a much broader portfolio including RPO and consulting services.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search leader with deep technology, cybersecurity, and board practices. Directly competes with Artico on C-suite and board mandates for VC/PE-backed and public companies, but operates at much larger scale with global offices.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Artico Search social profiles
Digital presenceArtico Search financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Artico Search leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Artico Search funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Artico Search M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Artico Search
What does Artico Search do?
Artico Search is a boutique executive search firm that places C-suite and senior leaders into venture capital-backed, private equity-backed, and publicly traded companies, with deep specialization in cybersecurity leadership hiring. The firm uses proprietary AI-augmented search methods, a scientific candidate analysis approach, and an internal search database (Thrive) to identify, evaluate, and present candidates, and it complements placement work with annual CISO compensation and security budget benchmark research produced jointly with IANS Research.
Is Artico Search a public or private company?
Artico Search is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Artico Search founded?
Artico Search was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Artico Search based?
Artico Search is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Artico Search make money?
One revenue line is on record: executive Search Services.
Who are Artico Search's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heller Search Associates, True Search, Diversified Search Group, Caldwell Partners and Heidrick & Struggles (re-listed for clarity, replaced below). Broad incumbents are Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, Egon Zehnder, Korn Ferry and Spencer Stuart.
Does Artico Search have an API?
No public API is recorded for Artico Search.
What industry is Artico Search in?
Artico Search's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAC, Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.